CURRENT EVENTS a.k.a. “Let’s Talk Toilets”:

• Five Things You Can Do about Transgender Restrooms. On this episode of Breakpoint, Eric Metaxas states “The government’s staggering overreach last Friday smacks more of colonial tyranny than anything I can remember. Parents are rightly outraged, but what can we do?
• Will You Use Target’s Transgender Bathroom? In this episode of “Ask Pastor John”, John Piper answers a question about Target’s new transgender bathroom policy.
• Why are We Flushing Thousands of Years Down the Toilet? David Murray writes “Why would the President and his supporters want to obliterate thousands of years of the most basic distinction of the planet? We’re left shaking our heads utterly perplexed. Why, why, why?”

CHRISTIAN LIVING:

• Your Sin Is Not What You Think. John Piper writes “My definition of sin is this: any feeling or thought or action that comes from a heart that does not treasure God over all other things. The bottom of sin, the root of all sins, is such a heart—a heart that prefers anything above God; a heart that doesn’t treasure God over everything else, and everyone else.”
• A Covenant with My Eyes. Chuck Lawless writes “It happened again this week – I talked with another man who is losing the war with pornography. If you’re losing this battle, too, maybe this covenant (“I made a covenant with my eyes not to look lustfully at a young woman”—Job 31:1) will help you.”
• What is the Prayer of Faith? Sinclair Ferguson writes “This, then, is the prayer of faith: to ask God to accomplish what He has promised in His Word.”
• May I Help You Discern Your Calling? John Piper writes “Is God calling you to cross-cultural missions for the sake of the global glory of Jesus Christ?”
• When We’re Feeling a Bit Anxious. Here’s our prayer of the week from Scotty Smith.
• Arguments for Why You Should Be Anxious Today and How the Bible Responds. Justin Taylor offers some helpful thoughts regarding the temptation to fret and worry and be anxious and unsettled, rather than acting in joyful, confident, restful faith.

CHURCH LIFE AND THEOLOGY:

• John Calvin on the True Church. Sinclair Ferguson writes that Calvin’s answer was “Essentially: the ministry of the Word and of the sacraments of baptism and the Lord’s Supper are the hallmarks of the true church. Where these are lacking, “surely the death of the church follows.”
• James: The Apostle of Passion. John MacArthur writes “James is a much more significant figure than we might consider, based on the little we know about him.”
• The Continental Divide of Theology. Steven Lawson writes “ Never has the need been greater for the truths of sovereign grace to be firmly established in the church.”
• The Spiritual Gift You Don’t Notice Until It’s Gone. Trent Hunter writes “If administration feels uninspiring, here are six images for six ways God blesses his people through your gift. And if administration isn’t your thing, these images will help you recognize and celebrate God’s gift to you in these people.”

GREAT RESOURCES:

• An Al Mohler Prophecy Comes True. David Murray writes that at the 2016 Ligonier National Conference, Albert Mohler stated “It’s not going to work. I mean, we know that. The whole promise of so-called same-sex marriage is not going to work…It can’t deliver on its promises.”
• Christian Courage and the Struggle for Civilization. I’m excited about the upcoming Francis Schaeffer Institute 2016 Special Lecture series to be held in St. Louis at Covenant Seminary September 16-17. Among the speakers will be Os Guinness.
• Michael Reeves on Christ’s Resurrection. One the joys of attending the Ligonier National Conference each year is getting introduced to new speakers. This year one of those speakers was Michael Reeves. He is also scheduled to speak at the 2017 Ligonier National Conference.  Watch his message “He is Not Here: The Resurrection of Christ”.

TO MAKE YOU SMILE:

• Obama to Issue Executive Order Granting Himself Lifelong Supply of Executive Orders. The Babylon Bee reports “President Barack Obama announced his plans to issue an executive order before leaving office which will decree that he gets to issue an unlimited number of executive orders whenever he wishes after his presidency, and indeed for the rest of his life, according to a White House press release Monday.”

 

 

• Our immoral culture today would make Sodom and Gomorrah blush. Steven Lawson
• The things you daydream about in your spare time are ultimately the things you serve. Tim Keller
• Everyone has a relationship with God. He is either your final judge or your faithful savior. Michael Horton
• There is nothing you can do to get God to love you more than he already does & nothing you can do to get God to love you less. Steve Brown
• The smallest good deed is better than the best intention. John Wooden
• By definition, the big difference between mercy and justice is that mercy is never ever obligatory. R.C. Sproul
• The gospel creates a reverse tug of war in marriage. It’s not about winning, but serving; not being the first to judge, but first to bless.  Scotty Smith
• Self-control is the ability to do the important thing rather than the urgent thing. Tim Keller
• It may be night in the soul, but there need be no terror, for the God of love does not change. Charles Spurgeon